Dear Rising Freshmen,

As the month of July slowly fades out, the countdown towards move-in day suddenly approaches. And while the excitement for freshman year of college builds up during those last minute Target runs for dorm essentials, there is a small part of you that remains doubtful. I am sure that this doubt transforms into countless nights of lying in your bed unable to fall asleep, thinking about what the future holds for you.

I am sure you flip through old photos from high school scrolling through the moments ranging from where you first met your best friends to your final stride across the stage at graduation. You probably think about the friends you have known for countless years, perhaps your whole life, who live just a car-ride away, and soon you start to think about those same friends who are now going to live hundreds or even thousands of miles away from you in a new, unknown place. I am sure a feeling of panic rushes through your veins, begging to know how you could possibly find as amazing friends as them in college, how you could keep your friendship strong despite being miles and miles apart, and how you are going to survive without them.

With all these feelings of anxiety, nostalgia, and sadness overwhelm you, you need to know that everything you are feeling is purely normal. I remember feeling the same exact way just a year ago as I began picking the perfect comforter, packing my things into the car, and leaving my home behind me to start a new journey in my life. Despite all of the excitement I had for what lay ahead of me, I was terrified. At the end of last summer, I would spend countless nights worrying about whether or not I would make good friends if I would have good classes and professors and if I would find my place on a big university campus. Trust me, I have been in your shoes, but I have also survived the "horrors" of freshman year.

For most of us, this is the last time you will ever be called a "freshman" again, so it is up to you to make the most of it. Enjoy being in a crowd of strangers you have never seen before. Enjoy the endless ice-breakers where you create a fun-fact about yourself way far in advanced. But most importantly, enjoy living in the moment. Enjoy the wide array of classes you browse and commit to that attempt to spark your interest. Ask lots of questions. Explore your interests. Find your passion. Freshman year is the only year where you could spend all of it undecided on a major or career path and observe different types of classes in order to discover the career path you want for yourself.

Throughout freshman year, observation is key. Not only do you have the opportunity to observe different academic paths, but you also have the opportunity to observe and befriend different types of people. Before college, I had never been in a more diverse environment, and I discovered that through that diversity-including diversity of thought and ideology-I was able to learn so much more from my peers, upperclassmen, and professors. Moreover, take your time to find your friends because freshman year is all about stepping outside your comfort zone in order to reach out and connect with others. Sometimes more than not the first people you meet during orientation do not always become your best friends throughout all four years. Do not depend solely on the first people you meet...college is about branching out to as many people as you possibly can, striking conversations with people you never thought you could relate to, and coming together with different people in a way you never thought possible.

Another worry about freshman year you may have is roommates. For some of you, this may be the first time you have had to live with someone else whom you do not know very well. With that realization comes a whole lot of stress. Last year I found myself wondering the same questions you may be thinking of right now: "Will my roommate and I get along well together?" This is one of the trickiest anxieties to calm because every person has a different roommate experience. Before leaving for college, I knew that I would be extremely easy to live with. Any expectation I had in my mind was blown away the second I met my roommate in real life, which changed the perception I had of her through our constant texts. Overall, give your roommate a chance. Always remember to be courteous to your roommate, and keep in mind that your relationship as roommates will grow together as the year goes on, so do not be surprised when it is week two and your roommate and you are not best friends yet.

With freshman year comes to a lot of anxiety and trips to Bed Bath & Beyond. And although you seem nervous about the unknown journey that lies before you, you feel excited. College can be intimidating at first, and it may require an adjustment, but once you establish yourself on campus through social groups and such, you will feel like you have found a new home. You just need to remember that this process happens gradually, that freshman year is the best time to grow as a person inside and out, and that you will have the time of your lives.

It is worth everything and more.

Sincerely,

A rising sophomore who has survived the storm that is freshman year